


Keeping Company

by skidblast



Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 20:11:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6768355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skidblast/pseuds/skidblast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the Autobots experience their first thunderstorm, Bumblebee and Trailbreaker are separated and have to learn how to cope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keeping Company

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CavalierConvoy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CavalierConvoy/gifts).



> Happy Birthday CavalierConvoy!

The Autobots had been on Earth for about a month now. They had dealt with the Decepticons that had followed them to Earth and now things were calming down. Sparkplug found himself often discussing with Ratchet and Wheeljack about the Autobot technology and it was so strange how he could sometimes easily grasp some of the concepts that they threw at him, and sometimes there was this little switch in his brain that flipped and made him as bumbling as a newborn puppy.

Spike was getting along with the Autobots much easier, focusing on making friends, talk and have fun with them. Still a teenager, still with that slight air of innocence that made everyone like him, including giant alien robots from a distant galaxy. The father and son were becoming quick friends with the alien robots who behaved much more human than one would have thought machines could do, and the Autobots were always gracious hosts.

So the first time that Sparkplug and Spike got to play host happened when Sparkplug had forgotten to fill up his car and there was no jerrycan of gas to have at the Autobot base. Hoist had been busy with helping Grapple on a project, so Trailbreaker volunteered to drive the car back, and Bumblebee had decided to tag along once he heard that there was plenty of room in Sparkplug's Auto Mechanic shop.

It was one of those dual-purpose buildings. The apartment was on the fourth floor, 3rd was storage and first and second was converted into an Auto Repair shop. So the shop wasn't big enough to host an Autobot standing comfortably, though Bumblebee could stand up comfortably while Trailbreaker had to crouch and have a sit in the corner. There weren't that many cars in right now, Sparkplug rarely had cars overnight.

Sparkplug came back to the main floor after getting himself some water to drink and saw Bumblebee looking slightly worried, with Trailbreaker doing that awkward smile Sparkplug had seen on others, the type of awkward smile where they were putting up a front and failing.

"So what's the matter?" Sparkplug said.

"Would you mind if we stayed the night?" Bumblebee asked. "It's just that Prowl contacted us and told us there was a thunderstorm coming."

"This place is secure, right? No lightning bolts are gonna zap it?" Trailbreaker asked smiling, but Sparkplug felt that he heard something else in his voice. A faint tang of nervousness.

"It hasn't failed us so far." Sparkplug said, then heard the hurried footsteps of his son coming down the stairs.

"Oh man are we really going to have a real sleepover?" Spike asked. "Maybe we can move the TV and the video player down and stay up late."

"Stay up late?" Trailbreaker asked, "I know I'm new to this planet but don't the younger of the humans need longer sleep?"

"I would hate to be in the way of your development into your final frame Spike." Bumblebee quickly cut in. Sparkplug felt it a bit atypical of the yellow car as he was often very eager to be around Spike.

"Yeah, you heard them." Sparkplug said. "And I am not going to lug the TV down the stairs to begin with. It's late already. The sooner you get to sleep the sooner you get to sleep through the storm."

Spike looked pleadingly to the Autobots, but neither were interested in helping him out to convince his father. Defeated, Spike headed upstairs.

"I need to get some sleep as well, at least whatever I can get. Thunderstorms keep me up at night. I'll see you tomorrow." Sparkplug said as he headed up to the apartment. He found his room with ease and the bed even easier.

A while later, after having managed to get some shuteyes, Sparkplug woke up with a jerk. A moment passed before he realized he had been woken up by something. Looking around confused he wasn't sure what was going on until he saw a flash and immediately after a thunder accompanying it. Sparkplug lied down again but the knowledge that it was just going to continue through the night kept him up. 

Sparkplug rose up from the bed, got dressed and checked on his son. At least Spike had no problem, if the volume from his bedroom was any indication as the snores were even higher than the sound of the raindrops falling on the roof. Sparkplug then recalled his nightover guests and went down to the main floor.

The smell was the first thing that got through to his senses. The sound of rain and occasional thunder was a constant now, so the unusual smell of hot asphalt after a storm was something he was not expecting. There was also the low hum that he felt in the filling in his teeth. He carefully and silently walked down the rest of the stairs, not sure what he would see when looking around the corner.

He didn't expect to see Trailbreaker and Bumblebee huddled together in the innermost corner of the building, with Trailbreaker square in the corner and embracing Bumblebee tightly as he quivered. He could see the golden shimmer of Trailbreaker's forcefield surrounding the pair, the apparent source of the smell and the hum. He wondered what was going on, and then there was another flash. He saw Bumblebee and Trailbreaker tense up for a moment before the thunder hit, Bee yelping in terror and jerking from the sound while Trailbreaker seemingly froze for a moment before relaxing and hugging Bumblebee tighter.

The poor bug was terrified, Sparkplug realized. It took a moment for him to realize that Trailbreaker was also afraid. But he was putting up face if only to keep Bumblebee together.

"Don't worry. Don't worry." Trailbreaker muttered that low that Sparkplug had to strain to listen. "You remember what Wheeljack said, it isn't as bad as back home."

"Doesn't help." Bumblebee answered. "You do know that he says half of the stuff in his work area harmless."

"I know." Trailbreaker chuckled, but got cut short as another flash came, him and Bumblebee tensing up again. Bumblebee twitched again, his leg apparently hitting a sensitive spot on Trailbreaker who grunted in minor pain.

"Sorry." Bumblebee said.

"Just caught me by surprise." Trailbreaker smiled. "Look, still got it up, still protecting us." He nodded upwards at the forcefield, not letting his hands leave Bumblebee.

Bumblebee was silent for a moment, looking at the forcefield without leaving Trailbreaker's strong hold. "This is going to be a long night." He muttered.

Sparkplug didn't want to wait any longer and headed down the stairs, not even trying to be quiet about it. He saw that the Autobots were quick to notice him now. "Storm keeping you up?" Sparkplug asked, not daring to touch the forcefield that separated Trailbreaker and Bumblebee from the hostile environment that they recalled from their own planet.

"We didn't mean to wake you up." Trailbreaker offered as Bumblebee tried to relax out of Trailbreaker's grip. But apparently Trailbreaker had some other ideas. This storm was affecting him just as much as it was affecting Bumblebee. He was just better at hiding it.

"It were just those blasted thunders that woke me up." Sparkplug said and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to the Autobots. Another flash of lighting offered more illumination for a fraction of a second.

"One Mississippi. Two -" Thunder cracked. But it had the intended effect Sparkplug had hoped for. His words had confused the Autobots enough that they forgot to tense and wait for the thunder, though they did react to it when it happened.

"What was that?" Bumblebee asked.

"We humans use this to tell how far away the lightning is." Sparkplug said. "Each five Mississippi is a mile."

"Really?" Bumblebee asked. "I thought it was closer."

"It always feels like it." Sparkplug answered. "Want to count with me next time?"

"Sure thing, we were getting bored here." Trailbreaker laughed.

Sparkplug didn't have any time to retort before a flash illuminated the floor.

"One Mississippi, two Mississi-" Thunder, and just a slight twitch this time.

"It's further away." Bumblebee said.

"The worst is probably over." Sparkplug said. "It isn't my first rodeo."

"Mind staying longer?" Trailbreaker asked. "I mean, the comms are down during the storm because Red Alert is being paranoid about the weather, and it's just us two here."

"I'll stay as long as you like." Sparkplug said.


End file.
